Lightfall Farm
by Ceuriss
Summary: Akari's new in town. She doesn't know a thing about farming, or the island. But does the island hold many more mysteries than she imagined? [Tree of Tranquility setting. Focused on the world of farming with a possible romance to be decided on in later chapters. Beginning chapters are very old.]
1. Chapter 1

The cold wind was blowing from the north as I walked slowly into the small town. The sun was starting to go down and the chill of Spring was coming over the night. I could hear the honk of the steamer ship that had just dropped me off. I shrugged my shoulders and began to head to Inn – I figured it was the inn, it was the biggest building that I could see. The air was full of the sea breeze, but it didn't send shivers down my spine like it did when I was a child. I stepped up the door and pushed it open with ease – obviously well used and oiled. I smiled as I took of my hat off and cast a glance around to see a guy with a blue cap sitting at the bar. I also saw a girl with blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail wiping down a table with a wet rag. There was also a large man that was bald but had a large scruffy beard.

"Um… hi there! I'm new here and I'm looking for a place to stay for… actually, I don't know how long I'll be here, but it won't be to terribly long. This is the inn, right?" I said shakily, a little bit nervous about meeting everyone for the first time.

The girl with the blonde hair bounced right up to me and said in a bubbly, happy voice, "Well, howdy there! I'm Kathy! My father owns the bar here. (We open up at 6 PM every night if you wanna come visit us.) Yup, see him over there? That's Hayden, if you wanted to know his name. And the one sipping down the stone oil there, that's Gray. He's a quiet one, but you'll get used to him."

I just nodded, taken aback by the hyperness of the girl who appeared to be around the same age as I. "Thanks…" I said, uncertainty shaking in my voice.

"Now, about a place to stay?" Kathy just chuckled and pointed up the stairs. "You can find beds up there. Just choose one of the rooms. I'll tell Jake you're here and the first night on me, since you're a visitor and all." Kathy said as she went to grab the remaining dishes on the table she was cleaning. Then she turned back to me as I was almost to the stairs, "Hey, you, what's your name?"

_Wow, I just walked in unannounced, like they knew who I was and everything. I wasn't even nice enough to tell them my name. _"Oh yeah, my name's Akari! I'm planning on being the new rancher." I smiled politely as I dashed up the stairs to avoid further questioning.

I plopped down onto a rather fluffy bed that was in one of the small rooms. There was a dresser, a nightstand, and a few other oddballs in the rented room, but it would do until I could afford to buy a house and a farm. _That could take all year, and half of the money I earn doing odd jobs around this place will go to rent… _I hung my head in silence. Slowly, I stood up and made my way over to the light-switch to shut the lights off. As I did, I smiled as I looked out the window to see many fireflies buzzing around outside my window. I could see the sea, reflecting the moon, giving the beach a soft white glow. I had to admit, this place was really beautiful and scenic. _I'll have to get out and explore tomorrow for sure!_

…

**Author's Note: **Well, I hoped you like the first chapter of this story. It's my first fanfiction, but I hope it will be good. And don't worry, the later chapter's will be much more exciting. Akari will find lots of new surprises and meet the people of Waffle Town. And I am only using Akari as the only Japanese name. The rest will be in English. I like it a lot better than Angela. Keep reading, I'll post the next chapter very soon!

**Edit: **Wow, looking back on this, it's not exactly my best work now, but I want to just get on with a story. Fixed some minor errors.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: "Hope"**

Before I knew it, the sun was up and shining brightly through the second story window of the inn. For a second or two after I opened my eyes, I had no idea where I was at. I felt a tad bit lost, but once my mind stepped into play, I remember that I had came here late last night for a place to stay. "Well, I guess I had better find out a little more about this town and when I can get a job so I can buy myself a farm!" I was pumped and excited. I couldn't wait until everything was mine.

Only for a minute, I reclined back into bed, putting my hands behind my head and closing my eyes. I imagined myself working in the long, Summer grass brushing a cow that was letting out a cute little 'mooo'. I could see the little chickens and the chick hopping about, picking up seeds and whatever else they could scavenge off the fertile ground. I dreamt that I could see myself turning my head to see my field, yielding a wide variety of healthy plants. I had lots of friends that would come by and see me, invite me to the parties and gatherings.

_I can't wait to get started!_ I thought to myself as I sprang out of bed and rushed over to my suitcase, hurriedly zipping the thing open. I rummaged through the once-neatly folded clothes until I found my favorite pair of jeans with my favorite shirt. If I was going to be doing a lot of meeting, greeting, and sight-seeing, I was going to be comfortable. I quickly slipped out of my pajamas and slid the clothes on. I sighed as I looked to the mirror, my short mossy brown hair was stuck up in a permanent cowlick all the time. I managed to get the rest of my hair relatively flat. I quickly brushed my teeth and haphazardly put my boots on as I walked down the stairs to see new and different people here than there was the night before. Clearing my throat and stepping boldly forward, I approached the man behind the counter.

"Hi, there!" I said quietly, hoping that he had heard me but no one else did. I wasn't really looking for an on-rush of people greeting me. For goodness sakes, I'd only been awake for 10 minutes and my mind was still on definite lag-mode, even if I was excited.

The man with the sleek gray hair and bright green sweater-vest gave a polite grin and held up his index finger to indicate for me to wait a moment. He closed the cash register, took the key out and put it into his pocket. "Good day, and how are you this morning? I am the owner of Sundae Inn, Jake. Did you rest well? Kathy left a note for me in my office that you had come in very late. I'm glad you decided to visit Waffle Town. Do you know how long you will stay?" Jake said, in an all too polite and well-mannered way, like he was a weathered hotelsman who knew exactly how to greet the guests.

"Yes, I did rest well. Thank-you, Jake. I'm Akari, if Kathy didn't tell you that already, assuming she didn't, I'll let you in on the big secret. I'm not visiting. I saw a brochure in the town I lived in before here and saw that there was a beautiful ranch here. I was planning on renting an apartment and getting a job so I could buy the farm, but… I don't see any apartments… or farm for that matter." I was blissfully excited that I totally lost my nervousness and just rambled out everything that I was thinking.

Jake just gave a good-hearted laugh causing me to cock my head to the side.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, stomping my foot on the ground.

Jake shook his head, "You remind me so much of the young boy that came to ranch the farm about 25 years ago." Jake said, abruptly ending his happy, cheerful face to see a sullen face.

I gasped, _There is a farm here. But wait…. What happened to the farmer? _"Hey, Jake, what happened to the farmer…?" I asked timidly, hoping something terrible had not occurred on the island. Jake just looked down at the counter, fiddling with a pen that was on there. "His name was Jack. He had moved here around the same time of year as you, probably the same age, too. He was from a small village called Flower Bud Village –"

I had to stop him at that point in the story to exclaim – "FLOWER BUD VILLAGE! But that's where I'm from! I've never known a Jack in my life!" Jake just nodded. "Then, he probably moved here before you were old enough to remember him. Back to the story. He was as young, chipper, and excited as you are at this very moment. Same scenario, too. He arrived late one night off the steamer and looked for a place to stay and this was the only place. He was all to glad to accept the job as the new farmer from Mayor Hamilton. Jack was diligent, hard worker. In no time at all, Caramel District was looking so renewed and fresh. There were lots of animals and plants that he tended to. Pretty soon, Jack was a regular at all the festivals and on a first-name basis with everyone. I remember, he was always my best customer. Loved to come and just chill out in the Inn – but who wouldn't with my mother's cooking? Jack was especially friendly to a girl named Camellia. They dated for almost a year before they got married. They had a daughter together, but Camellia died in child birth. Jack was so down-hearted that he decided to go back to Flower Bud Village with his daughter…. The village was very sad to see him go, but it wasn't long before we received a letter from him – or from the village he lived in." Jake paused, I could see he was struggling to tell this part of the story.

"The letter was telling of how Jack had fallen ill and had gotten deathly ill. Jack didn't make it through the night. The letter told that his daughter was still living in the village and was doing well. She had been adopted by one of the local families – never to know that they weren't her real parents." Jake gave a sigh and looked back up at me. I could see he was truly sad about Jack.

"I'm so sorry to hear about Jack. I never heard anything about Jack back in Flower Bud, but if I ever go back to visit, I will make sure to ask about him." Akari's voice fell as she thought of her own family back home. Her mom and dad – Mayor Thomas and Anna, as well as her older sister, Maria – were so far away. It had taken three days on the boat to get here. I sighed, I'd only been gone less than a week and I was homesick.

I turned my head to Jake, "So, about the farm - Where is it? I am desperate to see it!" I said in a hopeful voice. "I hope it's amazingly beautiful like the brochures." I said excitedly as I smiled one of my happiest grins. Jake just gave me a half smile that looked like he was trying to hide something.

I decided to go sit down at one of the tables in the restaurant, picking the one nearest the window so I could see the sea. I had been sitting for about five minutes when the little bell on top of the door gave a little 'ding ling' to signal a customer. I turned my head to see if it was Kathy that I'd met last night. It wasn't. He was a rather plump, short man with gray hair that looked like it belong on an ice cream cone because of the way it was styled.

He turned to me and waved, "You must be Akari, come with me. We have lots to do today!" The man said to me causing a confusing look to come over my face. I was a bit reluctant, but I just stood up and followed him out the door, not knowing what to expect outside the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lightfall Farm: "Nice to Meet'Cha"**

The day was warm and the sea breeze was blowing steadily. I was thankful that I had short hair so that it would be so mangled and in such disarray from the wind. I followed the short man out onto the main street. Now that it was light, I could see so much more of the beautiful, quaint little town. From the door of Sundae Inn, I could see a row of houses and in the distance a tall lighthouse. Over to the right to see a path running up the side of a large hill. A church sat atop the hill and I could see the tops of trees, so obviously something was behind the tree. I looked to the left to see the road running down to the beat. There was more road that veered off to the left. It looked like shops, but it was hard to tell from this angle. If I looked hard enough, I could see the pier, a small building, and the ship which I had arrived in. _This town isn't too big, but it's not overly small either. I like it!_ I approached the small man that had asked me to follow him outside. "Er — Hello!" I said timidly. The man with the ice cream hair threw me the happiest grin, but it was so gullible looking.

"Hiya! I'm Mayor Hamilton! I am in charge of running this town. You should really get out and explore the town and meet everyone here." His voice was not very deep but it wasn't that high-pitched either. He sounded chipper as he motioned with his hand to the stores along the shore and to the pier area.

"Okay, I guess today is the perfect day to go out and meet everybody." I said, taking a nervous glance down the path_. I was never good at talking to people, but in this small enclosure, I'm going to have to._

Hamilton just made a _tsk, tsk, tsk_ noise. "These are not the only people in town. Maple District – which I hope to turn into a huge housing development is up on that hill behind the church. Then there's a few more stores in the Ganache Mine District, and then there's Brownie Ranch beyond that. You still have lots of people to meet yet. And don't forget to visit the Town Hall either! It's just up that path behind the Sundae Inn!" Hamilton hollered as I had already started wandering down the path.

I decided I would start with the little row of shops on the first lane. It wasn't very big and had a wide assortment of items sitting outside in boxes on the porch. I carefully opened to the door with the well-used door-knob. The shop was small on the inside but it had lots of stuff. There were several fridges in a line, multiple colored and shaped clocks clung to the wall, a few T.V.s and quite a few other things littered the shop's shelves and floor. I looked around the store to see if anyone was in the store. I saw a woman with green hair and a bandana with a striped skirt on. Behind the counter was a man with greenish blue hair and a purple apron hung from his neck. Both had their backs facing me, so I made a little 'ahem' noise with my throat and stepped forward. That had gotten their attention and both of them turned around to greet me.

"Hiya! Oh, we haven't had any customers in a long time – wait, you are a customer, right?" The man said. I just shook my head. We talked for about ten minutes about why I was here. I learned that their names were Simon and Barbara and that this was the General Store, but they didn't have much selection at the time.

By the time I had walked around the whole main part of the town, I had met Simon and Barbara at the General Store; Colleen, Jake, Yolanda, Kathy, Hayden, and Maya at the Sundae Inn; There was Elli and Gil up at the Town Hall; Jin and Irene at the Meringue Clinic; And Ozzie and Pascal at On the Hook. They were all very polite and nice and I looked forward to talking to them again – as long as I didn't have to eat Maya's cooking. Tired from walking around town for a good part of the morning, I headed back to the center of town where Mayor Hamilton was sitting on a bench next to a map. I let met head fall as soon as I saw the map, _He could have told me there was a map before I went trudging all over town!_

"Hey, Mayor Hamilton! I talked to everyone in town." I yelled as I ran up the mayor of Waffle Town. "Now, I had a plan to get like a part-time job while I was here so I could pay for my farm. Do you know where I can get one? And are there any apartments here in town that I could rent out?" I asked feeling silly, like a child lost in a whole new world.

Hamilton just nodded. "Follow me, and try to keep up."

_Ha, keep up, this old man is slower than a turtle!_ I thought to myself, hardly able to contain the giggle that wanted to erupt out of my mouth. But before I could even re-tie my shoe that had come loose he was almost to the top of the hill where the church was at. My mouth gaped open in wonderment at how he had gotten there so fast. I just shook my head and urged my legs into a run. It only took a minute or two to reach the top of the hill where Mayor Hamilton was waiting for me at the church. I was panting like a dog, I was really out of shape.

"I warned you to keep up!" Mayor Hamilton said cheerfully, as if he didn't care that I was slow and tired. This time he took his pace slower. We took the pathway down the hill and past a graveyard. There was a small pond which I assumed was Maple Lake – the reason for Maple Lake District. Covering about a fourth of the distance of the pond was a small blue-white dock – a perfect spot to fish. I looked around as we walked forward, there were only a few houses in this area, each vastly different. The one next to the pond was covered in fishing oriented things like nets, poles, lifejackets, and even a small boat. _Whoever lives there obviously has a passion for fish. _We passed a very large tree that looked wilted and sad, but underneath was a smiling blue flower, happily swaying side to side in the calm Spring breeze. Finally after walking through Maple Lake District we headed into a new area. I asked Hamilton what it was called and he told me it was called Ganache Mine District. I sighed, _Is everything on this Island named after a dessert or sweet? Oh gosh, now my stomach's growling._ I smiled as I thought of my mom's homemade ganache. I could see her working in the kitchen, glazing the chocolate over the cream. They were hopelessly delicious. She always made them for me when I was sad.

"Alrighty, then. We're here! Welcome to Soufflé Farm. You're hired here for…. A while. I've already talked it over with Craig and Ruth. You go on in there and they'll tell you what to do." Mayor Hamilton said with a smile and wave and with that, the mysterious mayor was gone…. Again.

…..

**Author's Note: **Whoot, yeah, I made Hamilton a creepy old dude, got a problem with that? Whenever he shows up, he's going to be very…. Odd. He will be short, direct and to the point – to the point that Akari would love to slap him. But yeah, what will happen when Akari goes into Soufflé Farm?


	4. Chapter 4

**Lightfall Farm**

**Chapter 4: A New Way**

The sun was in the middle of the sky, the wind was blowing at a steady, soft pace, and I was feeling a bit unsure of what to do next. _I guess I might as well go inside this "Souffle Farm" place. _I stepped up onto the good-sized porch of the building, smelling the sweet fragrance of flowers and plants – it was almost overwhelming. Cautiously, I put my hand on the door and twisted the handle. The room I found myself in wasn't the least bit unpleasant. There were bright, fresh, lustrous vegetables sitting on a stand on one side. A cash register on the counter sat near the vegetables. I turned my gaze to the other side; there was an abundance of brightly colored flowers and a station for arranging these said flowers. Behind the table was a woman with short russet-brown hair and a sharp-looking complexion. She hadn't heard me come in, so I made a little noise by clearing my throat. Her head came up sharply, and just nodded.

"Ah, yes, you must be the one that Hamilton said would drop by. Come in, come in, but please don't step on the flowers lying about." The woman said without a tone of emotion. It was rather drab and crisp, like she could care less that I was here.

"Well, yeah, I'm Akari. You said that Hamilton had told you that I was coming… but what exactly did he tell you?" I said, a little weary about the whole situation. This island was weird and full of very peculiar people.

"My name is Ruth. Mayor Hamilton said that you were – wait, I have the letter around here somewhere," At that, the woman began digging through a pile of paper sitting in the corner atop of a stool. "Found it. It says, "_There will be a new visitor arriving within the week. I would like for her to take work in your shop until other arrangements will be made. She will work and you will provide her with a room and part-time salary. If there is any problems with these, please come see me in my office at the Town Hall as soon as possible. Thank-you and sincerely, Mayor Hamilton."_

"Wait, I've already got the job and a place to stay? (Dang, this is going to be easier than I thought!)"I asked, quite unsure what else to say, I was dumbfounded at the idea that as soon as I had arrived on the island I already had work.

"Oh yes, did he not tell you that you would be working here?" Ruth said, almost shocked, but then she remembered what an odd little man Hamilton was. She just shook her head. "You'll be helping my husband, Craig around the farm. Maybe it will help you get the basics of farming so you can get started on your ranch soon." Ruth sounded almost… kind… this time.

_Thanks, Hamilton, thanks a lot, you creepy old man. _I thought to myself. "Well, that sounds good. I don't have any bags with me except my dufflebag, but that's still back at the Inn. The rest of my luggage is coming after I get my farm settled. So, what better else to do than get started. Where can I find your husband?" I said, as calmly as I could. I was kind of excited that I was going to get paid and have a place to stay without having to search for somewhere. I was almost giddy with joy at the prospect of learning about crops and farming.

"Oh yes, Craig. I'll give him a call on the walkie. Give me a moment, you can look around the store while I'm talk to him." Ruth said as walked into a hallway apart from the store. "Craig? You there?"

_"Yeah, here, what is it?"_

"The new girl is here."

"_And what do you want me to do about it?"_

"Wait outside the shop, she's ready to start work."

"_I'm busy, she can wait."_

"I said NOW, Craig."

"_Fine!"_

And with that, I didn't here any more come through the walkie. Ruth walked back into the main part of the store where I sat waiting in a chair by the door.

"Go and wait outside for Craig, he'll show you what to do." Ruth said as she pointed to the door.

I just nodded and followed her instructions. As I stepped out of the door, I could see a man with plaid trousers and flat-billed hat that look like it was covered it dirt and was worn all the time, rummaging through a shed beside the store. When he finally turned around, he was carrying three very rusty tools. A sickle, a hoe, and a watering can. He walked up to me with a slight limp in his foot, but still kept a good pace. "Alright, I'm Craig – you're the new girl. You work for me and only ask questions when I deem the time worthy. M'kay? My goodness, you're scrawny! Do they not teach you to eat properly in the city?"

I nodded my head to the instructions and opened my mouth to say something, but I closed it again. I began thinking of what I could say that wouldn't get a smart retort out of Craig. "I'm Akari, by the way. And, I'm not from the city, I'm from Flower Bud Village!" I said as boldly as I could. All these weird people were starting to get on my nerves.

"Ah… Flower Bud Village. We ship there often." Craig says absent-mindedly as if he is thinking of other things. Finally, he snapped back to reality. "Here, take these. We'll start with the sickle. You get to clear out the weeds. My back has been killing me, so you get to do it." Smugness rings his voice, but I can tell he really isn't kidding when he says he is sore.

"Fine." I say as I take the corroded metal stick from his hand, stomp over and hop the wooded fence.

After a few hours, the sun finally makes it over the tall trees and it feels as if I'm being baked alive under the scorching sun. We could all have tasty Akari cookies. _Joy, no wonder no one else wants to do this. It's torture._ And then I think of my farm in all its vast, imaginary glory. It's no doubt going to have weeds, and who's going to be there to clear them out? Me. Me, myself, and I. Blisters were forming, wait, no that's an understatement. They are starting to bleed and are causing some serious damage.

"Ah! Finally!" I scream, whacking the last remaining weed. The garden used to looked small and barely a challenge now I resent my nonchalantness to this job. To be blunt, I'm exhausted. The small glass of lemonade and cookies that Ruth brought out around noon are long gone. It's probably three o'clock and I'm already ready to hit the hay after an ice cold shower. But, to my unfortunate nature, Craig says we have more to do.

I feel like screaming my head off at the crazy but I keep my cool and ask him what it is.

"It's easy, we're just going to deliver some produce around town. Easy. The only reason you're going is because Hamilton wants you to meet people. Ugh, Scrawny, you better not get on my nerves." Craig rambled as he waved with the back of his hand as he trotted out of the district.

_Boy, oh, boy, is there an end to this? _I sigh heavily as I force my sore, exhausted legs to move from their standstill position. Finally, I catch up with Craig after he slowed his not very fast. He could tell that I was out of shape.

"All right, today we're delivering produce around town. Take these turnips and go find Jin. You probably met him earlier. After you're done, come back and I'll give you the next shipment." Craig said grouchily. The warm Spring sun was getting to his nerves.

I just nod and take the small crate of the white and green veggies. It's not too heavy, the wooden crate is chuck full of splinters. Within three minutes of walking through Maple Lake, I have succeeded in capturing a handful of splinters.

Suddenly, it hits me. I was so distracted by the splinters and the turnips that I completely forgot to ask where Jin lived! _Let's see… what would a doctor's house look like? Clean with a big red plus on the front door. No, that wouldn't be right. Don't doctors need herbs? Maybe Jin has herbs growing in his yard. _I wander the streets aimlessly until I stumble upon some stairs that lead up to more houses. There aren't too many houses in the district, but they're spread out so far apart. 

Finally at the top of the stairs, I examine the mailboxes and to my utmost relief one of them has Jin's name sprawled across it. "Finally!" I say to myself. I knock on the door. Wait. I knock again. Wait. "Guess Jin's not in—Oh, hi!" I say as the door flies open. Jin's there, in a shorts and a t-shirt, sweat soaking through them.

"Hi, Akari, right?"

I just nod."Yeah, Craig at the Souffle Farm is having me deliver things."

"Right. Here you go, 250G. Sorry about being all sweaty, even doctors have to be in shape." Jin winks as he hands me the money.

"That sounds like good advice for a novice farmer. Today's been a killer. Not to mention the sunburn." I say, rigidness and exhaustion edging my voice.

"Looks like you really did get some sun. Here, come into my kitchen. I've got some ointment that'll fix that right up." Jin says, opening the door all the way to let me in.

The kitchen is warm and inviting. And very tidy. Everything seems to have a place, a purpose. But, I guess doctor's are taught to be organized and cleanly, so, it shows in their work. It's nice, I guess, but I'm not exactly the tidiest person, so, I feel a little uncomfortable.

Jin returns about a minute later, a white tube in his hands. "Here, this should help." He smiles and hands it to me. "Oh, I would ask you to stay and talk and get to know you since I hope you won't have to visit my office very often, but I know Craig. He's very impatient."

"Thanks, Jin. I really appreciate it." With a wave, I head out the door and head back to Craig.

The trip doesn't take as long this time, since I know where I'm headed. Five minutes later I have two, much smaller crates headed to Toby and Mira. I don't think I've met them yet, but I remember passing their mailboxes on the way to Jin's house, so it doesn't take long to figure out which ones they are again. No one's home at either house, so I don't stay around and chat. Craig said it was alright, because if they were out then they usually came and paid at the store. _Pretty trustworthy, I guess. I know I wouldn't just give it out and not wait for the money. People would so take advantage of poor little Akari. _

By the time we were back inside the store at the Souffle farm, the sun was starting to dip low in the sky. As soon as I stepped into the house, I sighed happily, sucking in as much of the tasty smell as I could get. It was aromatic and delicious smelling. Ruth must be cooking or the raw crops plus hunger are getting to me. I hadn't thought about food until I had stepped in the door and now my stomach was grumbling and growling very loudly. I just follow my nose and I find myself in a well stocked, organized kitchen. Fresh fruit and vegetables are chopped, sautéed, grilled, and stir fried with some fish. I really don't know a lot about cooking, but I know a good meal when I see one – and this makes the cut for an excellent meal.

**Authors note:** Well, this chapter was much, much longer. (: It took me a lot longer to write. Yeah, I really am taking my time with this story and the, what, six month hiatus from this story, really didn't help, I know. xD But this story will be worth the read and I have some very interesting stuff planned for the next few chapters. ^_^ Just you wait and see. C: Please review what you think and feel free to suggest things that you might like to see in the story. Perhaps a request for a funny scene between two characters or an argument. I'm open to just about anything, unless it interferes with the storyline I have planned.


	5. Chapter 5

**Lightfall Farm**

**Chapter 5**

The sun was filtering lightly through the translucent blinds, holding back the full rays of sunlight as I yawned. I sat up sleepily, rubbing my eyes, trying to focus on the blurry room around me.

_Day number 3… oh joy._ The first day had been a blur, the ship ride, since I took most of the day off in a lawn chair that was reclined back. The second day had been filled with odd people I'd never met and lots of hard work. Thinking of the very warm sun that beat against my skin the previous day, I pulled of the blanket to see my arms, shoulders, and neck blistered in a pinkish red. "Ouch?" I say to myself pitifully, wincing as I slide out of bed.

I peeked out the window to see that the sun was just coming out. I could see Craig delving out mushy brown and white substance out of a green bag. I knew from my mother's gardening exactly what that bag was… "Fertilizer…" I said disgustedly to myself. _Nasty…_

I felt like exploring. I didn't want to spend all day learning how to water things and spread nasty fertilizer. It couldn't be that hard to figure out. So, I ran quietly over to small suitcase that held a pouch of money. 3,000G to be exact. I'd had a relatively small amount of money saved up for spending. I should the pouch in my pocket and slid out of my bedroom, closing the door as quietly as I could. It's not that I was sneaking out… but I didn't want to be found for a while. I actually wanted to go out and explore a bit on my own. I had the map that Hamilton gave me, money, and a good sense of direction. I was going to be just fine.

The morning was cool, but not that cold. I had two options: go the way I came the day before through Maple Lake, or I could go the way that was supposedly the Ganache Mine District. I could see in a distance that the road ahead was blocked off by a rather large rock. It wouldn't be hard to jump the rock, but Craig was over that way and I didn't feel like getting a super early start on things.

My eyes glanced down to my watch, "7:37, awesome, so… be back here in two hours. Got it." I said to myself as I set off at a slow jog. I decided to take the mine route, seeing as how I'd never been that way.

The first thing that caught my eye was the large, dark cave to my left. A set of tracks came out a few feet from the entrance. It had to be the mine that the district was named for. Boxes were strewn all about the little area. Spelunker equipment, no doubt.

I definitely didn't have enough time to explore a gigantic mine at the time, but I made up my mind to check it out soon.

I continued down the rugged pathway until a came to a building that was closest to the mine. The sign that hung overtop the door seemed to be an anvil and a hammer… the Blacksmith's. I decided it couldn't hurt to drop in and say hello.

A little bell went, _tinglingling_ as I entered the overly warm store. It wasn't hard to figure out why the store was warm. It had a great, roaring fire in the corner. _Definitely the blacksmith's._ I chuckled inwardly to myself.

"Excuse me…" I say quietly in my small voice, trying not to be overly loud, which I can be, but I choose to be quiet most of the time. Inner me is the one that's normally loud and makes the snide comments.

A man with white, spiked up hair entered the room. His clothes were stained with soot, metal, and seemed to be burnt in many places. "Who are you?" He said gruffly, pointing at me with a gloved hand.

"Um, I'm Akari. I'm new in town… and I'm meeting everyone." I add even quieter than before. _So much for a WARM welcome in this overly warm shop. _I think to myself as I just kind of stand there awkwardly.

"Well, that's just whoopty-freakin'-do great. Go piss off someone else, why don't'cha?" The grumpy old man huffed, going back to his forging.

"Oh-kay…" I say, kind of astonished at the gruff attitude. I had figured most people were quite friendly, but not that flat-out rude. I turned around and walked calmly back outside. I began heading towards the next shop when a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Hey, wait up!" A voice called.

I turned around to see a well-built guy with deep, copper-russety hair that was short and spiky. He looked to be a few years older than I. He had a cute, weathered looking face with light yellow-green eyes. But compared to me, he was a giant. He had to be at least 6 feet tall and my meager stature of 5' 5" isn't cutting it compared to him.

"I heard what my grandfather said. Just ignore him for the time being. He's been like that for the past couple years. Ever since he couldn't find the right materials for his work. It's like the mines just… gave out." He blurted out, seeing that I wasn't holding up much on my side of the conversation. "You're Akari, right? Gill said something about you, not much, though. Thought you were a tourist by the sounds of it, but… well, are you?" The red-haired guy asked, obviously genuinely curious about my permanent residence.

I just stared at him. I didn't have the faintest clue who he was, so I ignored his question, stuck out my hand and said calmly, "My name's Akari. You tell me your name first, and then I might answer your question."

He just kind of stood there, dumbfounded and then gave himself a good ol' facepalm right to the noggin. "Sorry, sorry, SORRY! I totally forgot you didn't know who I was… I just kind of figured. Gosh, I'm terrible at meeting new, cut… new people. Name's Owen, nice to meet you, Akari!" Owen said, feeling terrible about an introduction as he shook my hands with warm and strong hands.

I smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Owen. I've been dealing with quite a few weird people for the past days, so it's nice to meet someone… who's just flat-out nice and caring. I appreciate that." I felt comfortable talking to Owen. He seemed like a genuinely nice, good-hearted guy who only wanted to best for everyone and everybody. "Anyways, to answer your question, I am staying on the island. For good. I plan to start a ranch, er… farm, or whatever you want to call it. But first, to tell you the truth, I have to raise enough money to live, work, and sustain it… and I don't have nowhere near that much." I came clean to him, hoping that I didn't sound like someone who had come to the island to freeload off of generous people who were willing to help.

Owen smiled. "Awesome. So, a ranch farm thingamajig, eh? That sounds exciting. I'm an apprentice blacksmith, so, that's what I plan on doing, for just about forever." He paused for a minute, tilting his head to the side, as if he were trying to remember something he had forgotten. "Oh yeah, wait here, I'll be RIGHT back. Don't move… please?" And with that, he ran off back towards the blacksmith as fast as he could.

_Um… that was weird._ I laughed inwardly to myself. I like Owen. He was cool in his own Owenly way.

It took Owen about five minutes to return to my side, huffing and puffing. He was holding something behind his back that looked rather large. When he had regained his breath, he smiled. "Here," handing me a large, worn out looking hammer that looked like a lot more trouble than it was worth, "It was my first hammer. I got it when I had just been apprenticed in my grandfather's shop. It's kinda heavy, but it will get you used to using a lot of effort for something small. That's the lesson that goes with it. Trust me, it'll seem like crap at first, but I promise it will turn into one of your best buddies." Owen said with a wink.

I stared down at the hammer. It had to weigh at least 10 or more pounds. It was bulky… and the handle looked like it had been gripped by a hundred sweaty hands for a week straight. _Gross…_ But, I put on a smile, "Thanks, Owen. It's awesome." I lied, even though I didn't want to. I was good at lying, because, frankly, I used to lie a lot about everything. Save my skin quite a few times when I was younger. I felt bad, though…

"Great! You should go try it out in the mines some time, okay? You can find a whole lot of stuff down there you wouldn't exactly expect. Well, gramps'll be expecting me back in the shop with all the ores that I was supposed to be collecting right about now, but oh well, there's been plenty of times when I haven't done what he wanted me to do." Owen chuckled every now and then in between sentences. He was just a happy-go-lucky guy who talked way too much. I liked his personality. It made me happy. And with a wave, he was gone back into the shop and I was alone in the street.

And then it hit me… I looked down at my watch, just barely catching the time before I whined, "Craaaapppppp!" It was 10:28 and I should've been getting ready for work an hour ago.

**Author's Note:** What did you think? Akari's being mischievous by sneaking away, but because of this she got a new, clunky tool, a new friend, and angry employers! Yayyyy~

Who doesn't love Owen's personality? He just talks wayyyy too much, but it's cute. Don't worry, I'll _possibly _give all the bachelors a chance, but half of them are distasteful to me, so, I probably will only do meeting like this one with a few of them that I like.

Read and review, please!


	6. Chapter 6

**Lightfall Farm**

**Chapter 6**

After a rather nasty scolding from my less-than-likable boss, he put me to the task of watering Soufflé's stupidly huge fields. They had everything growing, from cabbage and turnips to strawberries to delicate flowers. I had to admit, the farm was really great. Everything was very healthy and, even though it seemed cliche to say, the plants just looked happy.

It was about mid-afternoon when my phone went off with its little jingle-notification, signaling that I had a new text message. Slipping my phone out of its little pocket, swiped my finger across the screen, unlocking it and shuffled through my notifications. I didn't have a lot of signal out on this island. I'd have to figure out how to get a little more signal later, probably subscribe to the local cell service. The message was from my best friend back at Flower Bud Village., Ann. The sweet, tender rancher's daughter. Feeling a little bit homesick, I allow myself to daydream of the place that used to be my home.

I thought about my friends back in the little village, about how much larger the island was than my old home. I thought about my parents and my sister. I missed everything about home. My grip tightened around the rusty little watering can, steeling myself against the memories. I wanted to go home, just to be in the presence of people that I loved. A small, insignificant tear slipped from eye, but I quickly wiped it away.

I suddenly felt incredibly determined to become the best rancher I could be, so that the people back home could be proud of me. For the rest of the day, until Craig told me I could stop, I furiously worked at all the menial tasks I had been assigned.

-xxx-

Three days had passed since my resolution to be the best I could be and I was feeling miserable. I was sunburnt on every bit of exposed skin, blisters on my hands and feet, making every little action a dreadful nightmare. My entire body ached and was stiff. I winced when I walked and groaned in pain when I had to bend over.

I had never done an immense amount of physical activity back home, just because my parents were rich and nothing was really required of me, except to do well in school and be a social butterfly, which I admittedly failed at. If I was being honest with myself, I wasn't really good at anything. I had no special talents, nor did I have an especial love of talking to people. This thought really had me doubting whether or not I really could be a great rancher. I sighed and slumped to the ground, down to the filthy dirt, amongst the bushy leaves of the plants. The tears slowly flowed down my face and I let them come.

I didn't have long to feel defeated. There was a short figure approaching from Maple Lake. I saw it and determined no one could see me like that. It was too humiliating. I quickly stood up and tried to make it seem like I had been working the whole time. I walked over toward the well and shoved the rusty watering can into it, withdrawing it full of water. By the time I had made it back over to the plot that I had been watering, the figure had grown closer. I could tell that it was Hamilton, but I decided to keep working until I was sure he was coming to talk to me. He could very well just be walking around town. That'd be embarrassing if he wasn't here for me and I thought he was. Really embarrassing.

As it turned out, Hamilton was here to see me. Still a good distance off, the short little excuse for a man could be seen jumping around and waving his hand. He was shouting something, but I wasn't sure. I listened a little harder, making out that he was shouting "AKARI!" I sighed. I really didn't like the little creep, but he was the mayor of the town so I felt obliged to indulge his little quirks. I set my watering can down and jogged over to him, wincing at every step, taking in the full severity of my soreness.

"Oh, you look a little worse for the wear," Hamilton said, looking me over. I was sunburnt from head to toe, covered in dirt and sweat, and looked like I'd been to hell and back in the last week.

"Like hell I do," is what I felt like saying, feeling a bit agitated at him just for pointing out my horrible state of appearance, but I held my tongue. The more time I had to spend with the little oaf had me more and more frustrated. It was just something about his entire overall demeanor that I didn't like. Instead of a nasty retort, I said, "I've been working hard."

In all honesty, I had been working really hard. I had already made double the money that I had come here with in the week that I had been here. I was proud of myself for not just throwing everything down the tube after the first sign of blisters and sunburn.

The Mayor nodded. "Come with me. It's time for a surprise for you. I think you'll like it." And with that, he took off at a brisk walk towards the mining district.

-xxx-

**Author's Note: **I have missed writing an incredible amount. All the time during class I write little short stories, never fully able to expand upon my ideas, because I have a terrible habit of trashing them because I don't want any of my classmates to accidentally read them. It's not like their bad, it's just I don't want them to read it. Oh well.

Fanfiction can be my outlet for writing again. I feel so bad for leaving this story for almost a year and a half, but I still have an intense love for Harvest Moon.

Just a warning to my readers, that this story will progress with a little more language than previous chapters and there might be other things. The rating will change to T, just to be safe.

I hope to get the next chapter out soon~ :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Lightfall Farm**

**Chapter 7**

I felt stupid following the little curly-q man around. The top of his absurd hair barely even came to my ribs, and I wasn't even that tall to begin with. I sighed, tired of following Mayor Hamilton without explanations.

We were to the point on the island that I had not explored yet. I felt terribly lost, almost a little bit thankful that I was being led instead of exploring around on my own. The trees that surrounded the path had turned into tall, strong thick pines. The smell of sawdust and fresh cut wood was all around us. It emanated from a log-built building with an assortment of tables and tools. I guess it's the lumber mill or something like that. At one of the work benches that were outside, I could see a boy about my own age, maybe a tad-bit older, working. He had dark blue hair with a flaming white bandana. I could see a wide grin on his face. What he was smiling at, I hadn't the faintest clue. I'd have to go and talk to him later. See what all the smiling is about.

After walking about a half mile, we came to another district that Hamilton told me was Caramel River district. It seemed empty and almost desolate, to be honest. There were no houses in this place, just random patches of forest, streams flowing about, and a few other landscape icons. Nothing seemed healthy about this place. The grass was terse and dry under-foot, the water looked stagnant and dull. The state of the place was almost heart-wrenching.

"This place looks… sick, Hamilton." My voice caught in my throat a little bit. The island was beautiful, but this place was run-down and awful.

"That's because the Harvest Goddess has abandoned us. This used to be a large, fertile farm. Now, it's a wasteland." Hamilton's normal up-beat tone was sullen and defeated. I could tell he loved this island very much, only wanting to see it prosper. "I hate to ask you this, Akari, but will you restore this land? I feel like your presence will cause a change. A prosperous change."

For a moment, I didn't feel entirely creeped out by the short man. I felt honest sincerity coming from him. He really wanted this place to be fertile and healthy again. I reflected on what he said. The Harvest Goddess. The spirit of the earth. All lands had their own spirit that protected the land. What had happened to Waffle Island that had made the island fall into this state of infertility?

Before I could space out anymore, Hamilton took off down the path. I followed him over a small wooden bridge, with chipped, worn out red paint. It was well weathered, but sturdy. I looked up the stream a little ways and say a huge waterfall in the distance. It was beautiful amidst the dreariness of the area. Down the stream was a vast ocean. I sighed as I thought about Flower Bud Village, hundreds of miles across the ocean on the mainland. When would I get to go back home and see my family?

The only other distinguishable feature of the area was a small cottage - if you could even call it that. It was shoddy at best. The roof seemed like it was sagging from disuse and disrepair. The paint was curling off the sides, and it seemed like almost all of the small windows were nothing but shattered glass. There was a mailbox, sitting crooked in the dirt. I walked up a little closer to it and examined it. The inscription read 'Jack.' For some reason, I felt a wave of nostalgia rush over me. I felt like all of this was… familiar. I shook off the weird feeling and looked at Hamilton.

"Would you like to live here?"

My first instinct was to let my jaw drop. Live there? In that wreck? Ha. But, then again, I was living in some guest room working for someone that I didn't have a particular interest in, or even liked. Hell, this actually seemed like a good opportunity, despite the condition. I was good at decorating and fixing things up. It could be my own little project and make my house look exactly the way I wanted it to.

"Uh… yes," Was my unsure answer. Despite my ideas of fixing the place up, I still had major doubts about whether living here would be… okay.

"Okay! Here's the key."

"What? I don't have to pay anything or sign anything or house-owning stuff?"

"No. It's yours. Bye now!" And with that, the short little creep waddled off in the direction of Waffle Town.

I stood there baffled as I held the chipped silver key in my hand. I'd just been given a house, free of charge, with no trouble at all. It was… odd. Whatever the case, I walked over to house and shoved the key into the tarnished lock and jiggled the knob until the door came open.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I went into the house, but what I saw made me fall in love. There was already an ample amount of furniture in the house. All of it was classic and antique. A table with a beautiful chestnut stain, a simple wooden bed with a rather fluffy looking mattress, as well a few other small necessities, accompanied by an absurdly thick layer of dust with a lingering musty smell from the trapped air.

It seemed that the storms had not been kind to the wooden floor, though, due to the broken windows. Leaves littered the floor, along with dirt and a few stray branches. Looks like I had my work cut out for me.

-xxx-

For the rest of the day, I walked back and forth from Soufflé Farm, carrying my few belongings back to my new house. It was a grueling task that my back did not enjoy, but eventually Craig decided to help me haul the rest of my things across Caramel River district.

"Thanks, I really appreciate your help Craig," I extended my hand to the crabby old man.

He just turned away, waving his hand. "I couldn't let such a scrawny little girl carry all that stuff by herself." And with that, he walked back towards his home.

The sun was beginning to set and I was exhausted. Boxes littered the little house, but for the first time since I had come here, I felt at home. I couldn't explain the warm happiness that filled me when I saw the rickety shack that was supposed to a house. Something about it just made me happy and I was actually excited about repairing it.

After taking a shower and taking forever to find my pajamas in the boxes, I settled into old, weathered bed. The covers didn't smell very good, but they were warm. I'd have to buy some candles and definitely wash them, but that could wait until tomorrow.

-xxx-

Having a house right on the ocean has it's benefits, but the sun shining right in your windows as soon as it peaks over the horizon is not one of them. I groaned as I pulled my pillow over my face, trying to block out the light that was shining directly in my eyes, but now that I was fully awake, there wasn't any going back to sleep. Sighing, I pulled myself out of bed and I came to the slow realization I didn't have a kitchen.

"What kind of messed of house is this!? Dammit, I'm starving," I said as I rummaged through my bag, only finding a box of granola bars. I threw my head back in frustration, and decided that I'd just go easy on the granola bars until I could get my hands on some more food.

I changed out of my pajamas into some comfortable work clothes and started putting things away on shelves and such. I'd been working for about an hour when there was knock on the door. It was a bit shocking, since I hadn't told anyone I'd moved out here yet. But, this is a small island and word probably travels fast.

Opening the door, I saw that it was blue-headed boy from the wood shop.

"Hello," He said, in a very peppy voice. He seemed very energetic, especially so early in the morning.

"Uh… hi. Sorry, I don't believe we've met."

"Oh yeah! My name's Luke and I'm the best lumberjack in all the world."

"Nice to meet you…. Luke. I'm Akari."

"Same to you. So, uh, what'cha up to?" This was turning into some stereotypical conversation and I was getting bored.

"Well, I'm just putting away my stuff."

"Ooh, can I help?" Luke looked really excited about the chance to help. To be honest, I really didn't want any help putting away my stuff. Sometimes I just liked doing things by myself.

"Er, thanks, but no thanks. I'm almost done." I lied, but Luke was a ball of energy and I was still too early in the day to deal with that. Way too early.

"Okay…" Luke looked a little bit defeated, but started turn to leave.

"Sorry, maybe we can hang out some time later?" It was the best offer I could manage, and it seemed to perk him up a little it.

"Sure! How about Sundae Inn later this afternoon?" Luke's blue eyes were bright and fully of energy, how could I say no?

"Sounds good," I said as I shut the door, trying not to provoke any further conversation.

Just as I thought Luke was walking away, I heard something behind me. It was Luke with his head through one of the broken windows. "I'll drop by later! Bye-bye!" With that, he left. I walked over to the window, to see him jogging away. I couldn't help but smile at his boyish antics, but decided that I should get back to work.


End file.
